is this true?

[Dazz]

To complicate things even further, it's the natural gas that produces fertilizer that has driven the increased food production. Coal can also make fertilizer. It's all tied together eh?

Yes it is. I don't think there is a vehicle or piece of machinery on a farm that works without the input of oil. Without it, every farmer is left standing there in the paddock unprotected with a rake and a horse that eats and f@rts alot.

Every Ozzie farmer is beholden to his Saudi masters.....and both parties know it. Cheap energy is everything, and everyone knows it. This is old ground.

There was a power outage here in our suburb last week, from 8:30am to 2:00pm. It took about 5 minutes for the whole street (we are all retired) to wander out and start bemoaning how quiet / cold / dull it is without electricity. It took less than another 1 minute to conclude that we all couldn't give a stuff about greenies or some far flung farm or mine.

All we knew was that life without power sux. We all had reserves of food for a few days at least. No biggy. None of us were equipped for even a few hours without power.

This stuff is important enough for the opposition to bring up and have a good crack at grabbing Govt. Govt knows this all too well, and doesn't muck around with the issue. People will be provided power by any means. If it means sacrificing a few far flung properties, so be it.

 

[topcropper]

The green revolution of the last thirty or forty years has been a major factor in keeping up the supply of food but I have my doubts about doubling food production again in the next thirty or so years. I would be interested in your thoughts on that.

...

I reckon it won't happen.

Anyone who thinks food production will double again in the next 40 years, as it has, and as it needs to, to feed another 2.5 billion people eating higher up the food chain must think it's possible for humans to swim a sub 10 minute 1500 metres.

World record aussie olympic 1500 m winners,


1924 Boy Charlton.......20:06
1956 Murray Rose.......17:59
1972 Stephen Holland..15:10
1992 Kieren Perkins.....14:43
2000 Grant Hackett.....14:34

The world record in 200 years time will probably be above 14 minutes, not 10. The easy gains are done.


See ya's.

 

[Bargain Hunter]

I watched a program on this very matter over the weekend and apart from the mining industry having the right to mine on your land the issue which was particularly worrying was the poor standards of environmental care.

The report showed the impact of gas exploration and the leaching of dangerours and flammable chemicals into the ground and water catchment areas. So there is a double whammy for the farmers in that this contamination can impact on the farming yield. In this case the compensation needs to be more than the patch that the mining equipment is sited.

 

[WinstonWolfe]

If everyone wants to get punch drunk on feeding raw materials to emerging markets, so as to increase their current account surpluses and developed market current account deficits, then I'd say your stuffed TC.

Although your left hook is for effected farmers (and mates) to form a co-op/union, and all go on strike for a season or two. Let's see how long it takes the high court to change the compensation laws.

And I don't think scab labor would be an issue......anyone who isn't a farmer now, wouldn't know how to farm.

 

[Ausprop]

never a truer word spoken.....but then most don't like to sit in the cold-silent-dark either

more to the point, you sell the coal seam gas and use the cash to power your homes, buy your food and invest in some income producing assets and live the dream. this is not about simple choices.

 

[Sunfish]

Originally Posted by Amadio
We can't eat coal seam gas.

never a truer word spoken.....but then most don't like to sit in the cold-silent-dark either

But you can certainly make urea out of CSM.

 

[Sunfish]

OK You can't eat gold!

But you can't eat bank notes either.

Both are negotiable.

 

[Y33]

Sunfish wrote:

OK You can't eat gold!

What about Old Gold Jamaican Chocolate